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When those red and blue lights flash in your rear-view, you're bound to get a bit flustered. Even more so if you've just had a drink or two with dinner, or came from a bar. During a traffic stop, many motorists take the route of complete subservience, answering any and all of the officers' questions and submitting to all their requests. Little do they know, this degree of compliance is not legally mandated.

When a police officer pulls you over, you are obligated only to provide your license and registration. Any information you volunteer beyond this is just that - volunteered. You are not required to tell an officer where you are coming from or if you've had anything to drink. Odds are you did not know this before your DUI arrest, meaning you may have been transparent with your arresting officer about any drinking you may have done earlier in the evening, an effort to comply in good faith with the law enforcement process. However, in doing so, you may have made a self-incriminating statement that the prosecution could take and run with.

More than likely, you are now wondering if you have doomed yourself to a DUI conviction because of the admission you made at a time of enormous pressure and confusion. Some presume that if a DUI suspect admitted to drinking, they inevitably must plead guilty to their DUI charges. Although you may have theoretically"helped" the officer and prosecution in their efforts to get a DUI conviction, this does not necessarily mean you should plead guilty to DUI.

Why You Shouldn't Plea Guilty to DUI in Forsyth County, Even If You Admitted to Drinking

DUI is a complex area of law. Imposing though it may seem, this complexity can work tremendously in your favor. There is a tangle of factors to consider before the judge can stamp your record with a DUI conviction - your rights as a DUI suspect, the obligations of law enforcement at the time of arrest and the limits placed on the prosecution, all must be meticulously adhered to. If they are not, there is a strong chance your charges can be thrown out. Although it is not the best circumstance to be in, having admitted to drinking at the time of arrest, there is still an avenue by which you could avoid a DUI conviction.

An experienced Forsyth County DUI attorney will be able to review the specifics of your case. The way in which the officer posed questions, the sequence of events, the statements made and not made, the circumstances of any chemical testing. The latter is a mere sampling of the factors your DUI attorney scrutinizes when building your DUI defense and hunting for flaws and presumptions on the part of the prosecution. Only after reviewing the unique features of your case will your lawyer make a judgment call about whether or not to pursue a plea deal.

Forsyth County DUI Attorney

You do not have to plead guilty in your DUI case, even if you admitted to drinking. The game changes when you arm yourself with a skilled Forsyth County DUI lawyer, who could potentially uproot the prosecution's case with proven legal tactics. If you have been charged with driving under the influence, immediately contact a Forsyth County DUI attorney to take on this legal battle on your behalf.

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About the Author

Richard S. Lawson is passionate about intoxicated driving defense. Unlike some attorneys, Mr. Lawson devotes 100% of his legal practice to helping people stand up for their rights against DUI charges. For more than 20 years, Mr. Lawson has dutifully fought for his clients' freedom, resolving more 4,900 impaired driving cases during the course of his career. Today, Mr. Lawson has developed a reputation as a skilled negotiator and continues to help clients by fighting to keep them out of jail.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.